• Attend once or twice a week
• Train up to 2 hours a night
• Fully-differentiated syllabus
• Authentic skills
• High quality tuition • Professional learning environment
• Extensive range of skills available • Address individual health concerns & training requirements
• Extremely thorough exploration of the art(s)
• Study new material every week
• Work through the full curriculum
• Receive regular corrections, tips & pointers
• Request bespoke tuition
• Access to highly detailed school DVDs
• Discuss taijiquan theory and related philosophies with Master Waller
• Attend workshops, boot camp and class social events • Advanced level of understanding
• Follows the teachings of the Tai Chi Classics
• Explore 1300 page on-line taijiquan database with guidance from Master Waller
Showing posts with label neigong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neigong. Show all posts
Wednesday
Existing habits
When joining an external martial arts class, a student has familiar habits
of body use.
The person may be tense, aggressive, macho.
They may be pumped-up and accustomed to using force.
Ideally, the teacher will find a way to channel these habits into learning the given art.
Tai chi is different to this.
Chinese people have trained the internal arts for centuries without needing to be pumped-up, aggressive or unduly strong.
Usually, a tai chi new starter must lose their existing habits and begin again.
This is a challenging process but very rewarding as it pays long-terms dividends in terms of health, wellbeing and biomechanically efficient body use.
The person may be tense, aggressive, macho.
They may be pumped-up and accustomed to using force.
Ideally, the teacher will find a way to channel these habits into learning the given art.
Tai chi is different to this.
Chinese people have trained the internal arts for centuries without needing to be pumped-up, aggressive or unduly strong.
Usually, a tai chi new starter must lose their existing habits and begin again.
This is a challenging process but very rewarding as it pays long-terms dividends in terms of health, wellbeing and biomechanically efficient body use.
Tuesday
Internal training methods
Newcastle Tai Chi classes begin in a different way.
Our aim is to relax the body, release muscle tension, increase postural awareness, develop good body use, cultivate whole-body movement and bring the mind to the present moment.
Every exercise is designed to teach peng, jing, 13 postures and the use of the mind rather than force.
No one is breathing hard.
The principles and movement habits explored during the first part of class are then employed in the practice of form.
Students quietly move through the various forms in our syllabus, receiving corrections, tips & pointers, insights, applications and new movements.
The last part of class addresses the application of these same principles with a partner.
There are many martial drills, sensitivity exercises and self defence skills to acquire.
Throughout the evening the mood is calm and stress-free.
Every aspect of the lesson is integrated and layered; with each student actively learning 'internal' skills.
Our aim is to relax the body, release muscle tension, increase postural awareness, develop good body use, cultivate whole-body movement and bring the mind to the present moment.
Every exercise is designed to teach peng, jing, 13 postures and the use of the mind rather than force.
No one is breathing hard.
The principles and movement habits explored during the first part of class are then employed in the practice of form.
Students quietly move through the various forms in our syllabus, receiving corrections, tips & pointers, insights, applications and new movements.
The last part of class addresses the application of these same principles with a partner.
There are many martial drills, sensitivity exercises and self defence skills to acquire.
Throughout the evening the mood is calm and stress-free.
Every aspect of the lesson is integrated and layered; with each student actively learning 'internal' skills.
Wednesday
Exercise
An exercise designed to cultivate neigong is not a neigong itself.
Neigong exists in your body all the time.
It is part of how you move.
A habit: unconscious and familiar. As easy and present as speaking or drinking from a glass.
If you have to think about a neigong quality or practice it, or engage it when needed... what good is it in combat/application?
An exercise is a training tool.
It helps you to get the hang of the habit, to feel how it works and to incorporate the feeling into your framework.
When you have the neigong quality as part of how you move, the exercise is no longer required.
Neigong exists in your body all the time.
It is part of how you move.
A habit: unconscious and familiar. As easy and present as speaking or drinking from a glass.
If you have to think about a neigong quality or practice it, or engage it when needed... what good is it in combat/application?
An exercise is a training tool.
It helps you to get the hang of the habit, to feel how it works and to incorporate the feeling into your framework.
When you have the neigong quality as part of how you move, the exercise is no longer required.
Tuesday
Tzu-jan
Some neigong can be cultivated by exercise.
Others are more subtle and need the mind to be engaged in a particular way until the neigong is habit.
The more advanced neigong arise because existing neigong are in place.
With practice and experience they arise by themselves.
Tzu-jan concerns cannot be made to happen or directly cultivated.
They are a by-product of ingrained internal movement habits.
Others are more subtle and need the mind to be engaged in a particular way until the neigong is habit.
The more advanced neigong arise because existing neigong are in place.
With practice and experience they arise by themselves.
Tzu-jan concerns cannot be made to happen or directly cultivated.
They are a by-product of ingrained internal movement habits.
Saturday
Neigong & jing
Friday
Connection
Connection is literally the process of uniting body parts.
It is the most basic and simplistic concern.
Instead of moving your arms via the shoulder or relying upon local muscle strength, you 'connect' the arms to the back and move via the torso and legs instead. Maintaining connection when performing different tasks is a major undertaking for the new student.
It is not enough to do a movement.
You must move in a whole-body manner.
The hardest part of this requirement is to remain relaxed but not floppy, flaccid or crumpled.
It is the most basic and simplistic concern.
Instead of moving your arms via the shoulder or relying upon local muscle strength, you 'connect' the arms to the back and move via the torso and legs instead. Maintaining connection when performing different tasks is a major undertaking for the new student.
It is not enough to do a movement.
You must move in a whole-body manner.
The hardest part of this requirement is to remain relaxed but not floppy, flaccid or crumpled.
Wednesday
Why bother?
Imagine that you have a large amount of work to do and you give it to 1 member of staff...
Now, consider sharing that same amount of work amongst 100 members of staff?
Instead of 1 staff member working extra hard to do the job, 100 people are working together.
The job will be done more quickly and each individual has less of the overall responsibility for completing the job.
Conventional muscle use involves a limited number of muscles being assigned to a given task.
Whole-body power entails all of your muscles being used together.
Consequently, the task feels less strenuous and is more easily fulfilled.
Now, consider sharing that same amount of work amongst 100 members of staff?
Instead of 1 staff member working extra hard to do the job, 100 people are working together.
The job will be done more quickly and each individual has less of the overall responsibility for completing the job.
Conventional muscle use involves a limited number of muscles being assigned to a given task.
Whole-body power entails all of your muscles being used together.
Consequently, the task feels less strenuous and is more easily fulfilled.
Monday
Whole-body
Neigong is concerned with whole-body movement.
This is distinct to how most people normally move in that every body part should be involved in every movement.
Accomplishing this is not easy.
As a child you possessed whole-body movement, but as an adult you have lost it from a lifetime of bodily misuse and bad habits.
This is distinct to how most people normally move in that every body part should be involved in every movement.
Accomplishing this is not easy.
As a child you possessed whole-body movement, but as an adult you have lost it from a lifetime of bodily misuse and bad habits.
Saturday
Neigong qualities
Having gained a crude sense of connection, a student may feel like a robot.
This is not correct.
The aim is to move freely, comfortably - in an agile, supple, flowing way - without ever losing connection.
How is this accomplished?
By incorporating subtle yet sophisticated concerns into how you move.
These neigong qualities serve to unite the body in a manner that is not awkward or clumsy.
This is not correct.
The aim is to move freely, comfortably - in an agile, supple, flowing way - without ever losing connection.
How is this accomplished?
By incorporating subtle yet sophisticated concerns into how you move.
These neigong qualities serve to unite the body in a manner that is not awkward or clumsy.
The body mechanics of the internal martial arts are significantly more sophisticated than those of the external martial arts.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Tuesday
Self defence
Monday
Partnered exercises
Training partnered exercises enables the student to determine whether or not they are employing the principles correctly and effectively.
Inappropriate body use becomes immediately apparent when working with a partner.
Inappropriate body use becomes immediately apparent when working with a partner.
Sunday
Weapons
Weapons forms and drills require the student to take all of their existing knowledge and utilise those skills when wielding a weapon.
This may sound easy, however, extending your peng through the weapon is difficult.
Practicing a weapons form in a martially-viable manner is another consideration entirely.
This may sound easy, however, extending your peng through the weapon is difficult.
Practicing a weapons form in a martially-viable manner is another consideration entirely.
Saturday
Form
Whilst learning the fundamental movements, a student is introduced to form.
Form serves to challenge the student.
The movement principles and habits must now be employed in a significantly more diverse manner.
Variety, combinations, permutations and stepping all require the student to extend their range of skill.
Form also has the added difficulty of being martial in nature.
Not only must the pattern be accurate in appearance, it must also contain internal strength.
Long-term, the student must possess the knowledge of how to apply the form in combat.
Form serves to challenge the student.
The movement principles and habits must now be employed in a significantly more diverse manner.
Variety, combinations, permutations and stepping all require the student to extend their range of skill.
Form also has the added difficulty of being martial in nature.
Not only must the pattern be accurate in appearance, it must also contain internal strength.
Long-term, the student must possess the knowledge of how to apply the form in combat.
Sunday
Use
How you move and use your body in everyday life will radically affect your progress in tai chi chuan and baguazhang.
Day-to-day habit patterns are the strongest.
These are the hardest to lose.
If you spend all day hunched-over, tensing-up, nervous, over-extending... this cannot be ironed out with a 90 minute class.
It is necessary to think about body usage as you are using it.
If you catch yourself off-balance, strained, tensing - then stop.
Re-establish equilibrium and perform the task again, with mindfulness.
This may sound a little difficult, and it is, but with practice you will improve very quickly.
As new habit patterns emerge and you begin to move as a unified whole, disconnection will be immediately evident and feel physically uncomfortable.
Day-to-day habit patterns are the strongest.
These are the hardest to lose.
If you spend all day hunched-over, tensing-up, nervous, over-extending... this cannot be ironed out with a 90 minute class.
It is necessary to think about body usage as you are using it.
If you catch yourself off-balance, strained, tensing - then stop.
Re-establish equilibrium and perform the task again, with mindfulness.
This may sound a little difficult, and it is, but with practice you will improve very quickly.
As new habit patterns emerge and you begin to move as a unified whole, disconnection will be immediately evident and feel physically uncomfortable.
Thursday
Principles
Internal
principles of body use must be trained thoroughly and mindfully.
A verbal understanding is inadequate.
Tangible, functional application in your everyday life is the only way to truly understand the art.
A verbal understanding is inadequate.
Tangible, functional application in your everyday life is the only way to truly understand the art.
Friday
Sustained power
In the internal arts, first and foremost, you never have a second where
you don't have power. Regardless of whether you are yielding or attacking, there
is no time when you lack power in your arms or anywhere else in your body.
That's how the internal arts are done, and it has many practical benefits. For
one, it prevents exhaustion.
This issue of unbroken power is a pretty basic difference between internal and external martial arts.
(Bruce Frantzis)
This issue of unbroken power is a pretty basic difference between internal and external martial arts.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)